David Joseph Kozak

David J Kozak, age 55, of Hartville, MO and Memphis, TN passed away on April 30, 2014 at McKellar Lake in Memphis, TN. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Memphis, TN. Visitation will be at 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 10.

David was born August 19, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of George and Elaine Kozak. He grew up in southern lower Michigan, and was one of 6 children. In 1980 the family moved to Hartville, MO to farm. Also in 1980 he was married to and later divorced from Anna Miller. They had 2 children, a daughter who lives in Toledo, Ohio and a son who passed in infancy.

David was currently employed as a pilot with Mountain Air Cargo in Memphis, TN. David graduated from Britton Macon High School in Britton Michigan and attended aviation school in Georgia . In 1989 he moved to Wisconsin and worked as a flight instructor at the Marshfield, WI airport. He was then employed as a truck driver and pilot for DeBoer trucking of Arpin, WI.

He was subsequently employed as a pilot with CSA in Wyoming and Montana before returning to Wisconsin to fly for Mountain Air in Milwaukee, WI. During this time he met and was married to Ginny Stichner whom he later was divorced from. In 2011 he relocated to Memphis, TN as a pilot with Mountain Air.

David had a passion for wooden boats. He restored, as well as lived in, several boats in the Lake Erie and Lake Michigan areas. While in Memphis he lived on his boat at the Riverside Marina at McKellar Lake. In 2011 he purchased a home and land in Hartville, MO on which he planned to raise beef cattle. During his 20 years in Wisconsin he built a home in Ogema and also owned homes in Racine and Cedar Grove. While his two great passions were flying and boating, he also enjoyed skiing (at one time he was employed at a ski resort as a chairlift operator),

fishing, snowmobiling, motorcycles, farming and mechanics.

David is survived by his daughter, Rachel Wagner, of Toledo, Ohio and 3 grandchildren. He is also survived by 4 brothers, Greg Kozak of Seymour, MO; Raphael (Jan) Kozak of McMinnville, TN; Pat (Aleta) Kozak of Hartville, MO; Doug (Kelly) Kozak of Seymour, MO; and 1 sister Ruth (Robin) Frank of Abbotsford, WI. He is also survived by 6 nieces and nephews.

David was preceded in death by his son, David J Kozak, Jr. and his parents.